Signal horn



Jan. 27. 1925. 1,524,087

F. F. DORSEY SIGNAL HORN Filed June 4. 1923 Fig.2

llnv mmm Patented Jan. 27, 1925..

UNITED STATES anna? PATENT OFFICE.

FARNUM F. DORSEY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NOR-TH EAST ELEC- TRIO COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SIGNAL HORN.

Application filed June 4,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FARNUM F. Donsnr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal Horns; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to signal-horns of the type in which a diaphragm is vibrated by the action of a cam or a striker actuated by an electric motor.

In horns of the kind in question it is common to mount the cam, or its equivalent, on the end of the motor-shaft and to arrange the shaft in a position normal to the diaphragm. The degree of engagement between the cam and the cam-follower or wear-piece on the diaphragm may then be adjusted by longitudinal movement of the motor-shaft.

The principal object of the present invention is to improve the means for imparting longitudinal adjustment to the motor-shaft for the purpose aforesaid, and a subsidiary object is to provide, by the same construction, simple and effective means for fastening in place the cover or housing which encloses the electric motor. To these ends it is proposed to use this housing as a manually-operable means for effecting the adjustment in question, by so connecting it with one of the shaft-bearings that rotation of the housing about its axis causes longitudinal movement of said bearing and of the motor-shaft. By utilizing the connections, between the housing and the bearing, as the means for securing the housing in place, the subsidiary object aforesaid is accomplished.

Other objects and features of the invention will be set forth hereinafter, in connection with the description of the illus trated embodiment of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side-elevation of a signal-horn embodying the present invention, with parts shown in axial section, and Fig. 2 is a rear-eleva tion, with certain portions removed.

The invention is illustrated as embodied in a signal-horn having a diaphragm 4 to the middle of which a cam-follower 5 is 1923. Serial No. 643,245.

attached. The cam-follower cooperates with a toothed cam 6 fixed on the forward end of the shaft '7 of an electric motor. This shaft turns in bearings 8 and 9, and the bearing 8 is fixed in a sheet-metal member 10 constituting a part of the rigid frame of the horn and the motor. The motor has a rigid fieldframe 11 which supports the bearing 9. The housing 12 which encloses the motor is in the form of a cylindrical cup drawn from sheet-metal.

The motor-shaft may be moved freely, in a longitudinal direction, through the bearing 8, and its position is determined by the bearing 9, which constitutes a thrustbearing as well as a radial bearing. The bearing 9 is screw threaded on the outside and supported in a threaded bushing 1 which is fixed in the middle of the fieldframe 11. The bearing is counterbored to receive a screw 14, threaded into the end of the motor-shaft, and through this screw and a thrust-washer 26 the armature-shaft is longitudinally constrained by the bearing 9 while free to rotate therein.

Near its outer end the bearing 9 is provided with two longitudinal slots 15. The

housing 12 is formed with a central depression 16 and with two integral tongues 17 which engage the slots 15. pression-spring 18, seated in the depression 16, is covered by a can 19, which is fixed to the bearing 9 by a screw 20 threaded into the counterbore of the bearing. The screw 20 is preferably made hollow, as shown, to receive an oiler 21 of ordinary form, through which the bearing may be lubricated.

The housing is held in place at all times by the pressure of the spring 18, with its forward edge in firm engagement with a shoulder 22 on the member 10. The housing is free, however, except for friction, to rotate, so that it may be turned easily by hand. When so turned the movement is communicated to the bearing 9 by means of the tongues 17, so that the bearing is screwed forwardly or rearwardly in the bushing 13 according to the direction of rotation of the housing, and the horn is thus adjusted without removing the housing and without the use of tools of any kind.

The spring 18 yields to the longitudinal movement of the bearing 9, while maintaining a firm pressure against the hous- A coiled coming. "Ith'as-the further useful function. of maintaining a constant rearward pressure against the bearing, thus taking up any lost motion in the direction of the thrust which occursuwhennthe horn isin operation.

The friction between the housing and the frame-member 10 may be suflicient to re ".motor, for vibrating the diaphragm, and a bearing, for said rotatable means, ad ust able to control the operation thereoton the ,diapl'ir agm, of 'ah'ousing enclosing the mots and rotatablysupported; and connections, between said housing and saidbearing, through. which rotation of the housing ,causes adjusting movenient of the bearing.

"2, In a signal-liorn,t he combination, with adjustable sound-producing devicesand a motor for actuating said devices,of a housing enclosing s'aidnnotonthe housing-being rotatably supported" and movable independ- Qently otthemotor and being connected with ;the sound-producing devicess'o that rota- V tiong'of the hous ng causes ad ustmentthereof. a

In; a: signal-horn, the combination, with an electrieimotor having a stationary field- .frame and. a longitudinally-movable shaft,

sound-producing devices actuated by said, shaft andadjustable by longitudinal-movement thereof, a thrust-bearing for controlling the longitudinal position of the shaft,

said bearing being screw-t hreaded,,and a stat onary frame-member screw-threaded to engage and support said bearing, of a lions ing enclosing the motor and said framemember and rotatable coaxially with said bearing; said housing being connected with said bearing so as to impart rotation to the bearing and produce adjustin movement thereof through its screw-threat connection with said stationary frame-men'iber.

l. Asignal-horn, as defined in claim 3, further characterized by the fact that the connection between the housing and the thrust-bearing is such that the housing does not participate in the axial moven'ient of the bearing.

5. In a signal-horn, the combination, with the parts recited in claim 3, of a spring connecting the housing and the thrustdiearing and pressing them constantly in opposite directions.

6. In a signalhorn, the combination, with the parts recited in claim 2, of frictional yielding means for retaining the housing normally against rotative movement.

7. A signal-horn, comprising the elements recited in claim 3, in which the connections between the housing and the thrust-bearing comprise a tongue-and-groove connection for imparting rotation from the housin" to the bearing, and a spring tending to prodhce relative movement in the direction of the axis of the housing and the bearing.

8. In a signalhorn, the combination, with a diaphragm, a motor having a shaft and a "frame, diapliragm-actuating means actuated by the shalit, and a thrust-bearing, for the end of the shaftremote from the diaphragm screw-threaded into the motor-frame and adjustable, by rotation, to adjust the )ositionoi the shaft and the operation 0: the diaphragm-actuating means, of a housing enclosing the motor and centrally perfo rated to receive said bearing, the housing and the bearing having connections for im arting rotation from the housing to the Beau ing without axial movement of the housing; and means engaging the housing adjacent said bearing for retaining itagainst axial movement.

FARNUM F. DORSEY. 

